5 Fun Designs to Consider If You Need a New Balustrade

A stainless steel balustrade adds a classic and beautiful look to a balcony, a staircase or a variety of other places. If you decide to put in a stainless steel railing, you have a lot of design options. Consider these ideas. 

1. Embrace the Traditional Look

If you want a simple and traditional look, opt for a stainless steel balustrade with metal balusters. The balusters can run horizontal to the hand rail between vertical support posts, or you can orient all the balusters vertically. Consider having the balusters resonate with the handrail by using similar shapes, or create visual intrigue with a variety of shapes. For instance, a rounded handrail with square balusters can look nice.

2. Opt for Curves

In lieu of the traditional look, consider opting for a curved look with your balusters. They can bow outward from the railing in a way that adds softness to your design. They also create the illusion of more space on a balcony.

3. Try Decorative Panels

Curves and straight lines aren't the only options. You can make indoor or outdoor balustrades more interesting by putting in decorative panels. You can choose from pre-made panels or have a skilled welder put together a design that you have developed yourself.

Note that if your design doesn't work with building codes regarding the distance between the metal elements, that's okay. You can easily fix the issue by putting a grid-shaped panel on either side of your design, or you can add small pieces of metal to your design. These steps just make the openings in the panel smaller so that no children slip through them.

4. Go With Glass

Instead of metal balusters or panels, consider going with glass panels. This creates a very sparse look where only the handrails and support posts are visible from a distance. However, the tempered glass helps to prevent falls and keep the area safe. If you like, you can choose etched glass. That allows you to integrate designs. On a commercial project, this can be a great place to put your logo.

5. Integrate Wood

If you like the idea of mixing different materials into your balustrade design, you don't have to go with glass. Instead, you may want to integrate wood. You have have stainless steel balustrades with wood posts. Alternatively, you can put up wood balustrades with metal posts. Or, you can mix these materials in other ways.

To get more ideas, contact someone who sells or designs stainless steel balustrades.